From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Barely seven weeks to the off-season governorship election in Imo State, the political scene is becoming dramatic and interesting, as t
The gubernatorial candidate of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu has faulted last Saturday’s inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma of All Progressive Congress, (APC) National Campaign Council, describing the attendance as scanty and with rented crowd, swiftly, the Governor’s camp has lampooned the criticism as a product of ignorance and desperation of an ambition.
According to a press statement issued in Owerri on Sunday by Dr. Ikenna Onuoha, Director, Media and Publicity of
Imo PDP (Sam-Jones) Gubernatorial Campaign Council and made available to The Authority in Owerri, “the campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State has described the scanty venue of APC Governorship flag-off in Owerri as evidence of rejection of Hope Uzodinma and the All Progressive Congress by Imo people.
“The council is not surprised that the flag-off would be a big mess owing to the fact that Uzodinma’s administration in the state has become disastrous and cancerous hence, brought ridicule to APC as a party and Imo as a state.
“Most embarrassing is that despite the rented crowd from nearby states, the venue still remained deserted.
“The scenario gives credence to an lgbo adage that, “no matter the venom, borrowed gunpowder cannot suffice in the funeral rites of a great man”.
“The outcome of Uzodinma’s action is that outside the borrowed crowd and a few members of the party that were coerced to attend the event, the flag-off still appeared a huge disaster speaks volume. Uzodinma, should be able to read the handwriting on the wall and honorably take a leave since Imo people do not need him anymore.
“No one would like to identify with a government whose image is badly battered and rumpled, what Uzodinma and his supporters should know is that the battle for the November election has just begun and no one would ever save him from the looming defeat.
“It is shameful that after Uzodinma had boasted that his Governorship flag-off would shut down the entire state and send serious message to the opposition parties, only for leaders of his party to shun the event is indeed a sign that his political doom is nearby.
“This huge rejection by members of his party and Imo people at large is an indication that no one wants to be seen or identified with Uzodinma in a state its citizens are boiling in hunger, crying over intimidation, harassment and agitating for his immediate exit from Government House.
“This should give Uzodinma and his supporters serious concern that the leadership and prominent stakeholders of their party boycotted the flag-off, simply because non of them is ready to aid another “Ben Johnson” style, nor abet vote rigging or thuggery.
“What Uzodinma should have done is to apologize to Imo people for allowing once a peaceful state to be decimated and turned to a battlefield, where security of lives and properties do not matter anymore” he allegedly stated.
However, Mr Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, a media aide to Governor Uzodimma and the State chapter of APC told The Authority Newspaper that, “Imo APC is yet to flag off their campaign, for your necessary information, please, what happened on Saturday, was just the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council for Imo State comprising of about 500 members, NOT Campaign Flag off!
“Campaign Flag Off of the party in Imo state for our Gubernatorial Campaigns will be done on a later date after the campaign council has been properly constituted.
“Campaigns couldn’t have been flagged off when the campaign council in the state is yet to be constituted as the state campaign directorates which will manage this very campaign and consequent elections are yet to be formed let alone constituted.
“Please ignore the ramblings of the frustrated PDP who are already agitated going by the preamble which they saw on Saturday, and because their campaign council inauguration flopped beyond remedy, they wanted a companion in misery.”
